Morocco 2007

Erg Chebbi

Off-road in the desert - Erg Chebbi in the background

Leaving Todra behind us we headed for Erg Chebbi, this is the largest true Saharan erg (sandy desert) in Morocco, at 22 km long and 5 km wide. The dunes reach a maximum height of 150 metres.

Ray uses different auberges close to the erg, depending on local conditions. As the approach is on pistes (unmade tracks) which can be temporarily blocked by wind-blown sand, his team check out the area beforehand to find the best route.

Ray to the rescue!

We were headed for the Auberge des Hommes Bleu, the final approach was around 6km of piste through a huge expanse of hamada, with the dunes growing ever larger as we got closer. Parking was an area of flat ground next to the auberge - of course someone found a patch of soft sand!

Once the group were all sorted out we all went into the courtyard of the auberge for, yes, mint tea.... and an explanation of what was on offer in the way of excursions. There was the option of an evening camel ride out to the erg with an overnight stay at a Berber camp, followed by a pre-dawn camel ride up the dunes to see the sunrise. For the less intrepid there was a meal at the auberge in the evening, followed by a pre-dawn camel ride up the dunes for the sunrise. There was also the chance of a 4x4 trip around the erg, visiting some of the villages.

We opted for the auberge meal and the early morning camel trip, along with a few other couples in the group. The meal was superb, a large Moroccan salad to share as a starter, followed by tajine kabab maghdour which is a classic dish of meatballs in a tomato-based sauce. Just before serving, eggs are poached in the sauce and appear nestled between the meatballs. There are many regional variation of this dish, ours included minced lamb, aubergines and onions and was absolutely delicious. Plenty of fresh fruit was available, the evening rounded off with Moroccan drumming by the auberge staff.

The next morning we were up by 5am and were all ready to set off on the freezing cold and pitch dark at 6.30. I'm not going to detail the technique of riding a camel, if you've done it before you'll know what it's like - if not, it's a 'treat' in store.... Suffice to say that I was quite glad not to have opted for the longer trip!

The Saharan sunrise is absolutely an experience not to be missed, photos can't do it justice. We sat on the very top of a dune and just enjoyed the slowly lightening sky and changing hues across the dunes, till the sun eventually burst over the horizon creating wonderful patterns of light and shade.

Heading back for breakfast

The rest of the day was spent back at the camp by the auberge, recovering from the camel ride and generally relaxing in the warm sun.

That evening we all met up in a Berber tent, which was pitched at the back of the auberge, for another traditional Moroccan dish, m'choui. This again has regional variations, but is usually a whole roast lamb cooked in a clay oven. The m'choui had to be brought in from a local village, because the auberge didn't have an oven big enough. Unfortunately this meant that there was quite a wait before it arrived and it wasn't as hot as it might have been. It was carved directly onto our plates and it was a bit pot luck what you actually got, we were lucky and both of us had a couple of beautifully succulent helpings of meat, but some people seemed to end up with mostly fat and gristle. A bit of a mixed result really.

Camels and motorhomes

The overnight party return

Desert sunset

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